Umair Ashraf, second semester student at SZABIST.After completing his A-levels, he then travelled to Italy to pursue a certificate course in Interior Designing, as his family business is about lighting design. Umair enlightened us that the stereotypical image people have of a family business heir, been born with a silver spoon and the path laid out for him being easy and straightforward; is not actually true. Inheriting a successful family business also presents the challenge of dealing with experienced people who expect perfection from the first day. He has to put long hours in the business straight after university and has no time for the instant gratifications that engulf many of today’s generation.
Umair’s company is called Pak Burma Traders. His business caters to a variety of lighting products such as led lights, chandeliers and table lamps etc. The Company has at least one or two distributers in every major city of Pakistan. The unique thing about Umair’s business is that it is the Sole distributer of FIAM, MACY, and LAVOV in Pakistan. To make sure that the business not only stays relevant but also thrives in the future, Umair is constantly applying the theory he learns in school to chart out a winning strategy.
What was your motivation for starting a new business venture?
When I was a child I always wanted to be an entrepreneur, and helping my father work from a young age made me want to realize the dream of continue working and running the family business.
What would you say is the top skill needed to be a successful entrepreneur?
Being patient and loyal is the key. In this age we are all in a rush towards taking decisions which can help us succeed overnight but it actually takes a lot of years and a lot of hard work to establish a well settled business. Secondly you need to be loyal to your customers and do not let greed influence your decisions.
SZABIST Entreprenurial Society 